Gayo predicted Marte would be an All-Star
SAN DIEGO 鈥� Starling Marte had sufficiently impressed the Pirates鈥� scouts on that January day in the Dominican Republic in 2007.
When the workout was over in his hometown of Santo Domingo, the Pirates offered him a professional contract. Marte, who like so many grew impoverished like so many other in the nation鈥檚 capital city, quickly signed.
Marte distinctly remembers what Pirates director of Latin American scouting Rene Gayo told him after he had put pen to paper.
鈥淗e said I was going to play in the All-Star Game someday,鈥� Marte recalled with a smile. 鈥淗e said he was the type of five-tool player that would become an All-Star player.鈥�
Gayo turned out to be correct.
Marte, in his sixth season as the Pirates鈥� left fielder, was selected to his first All-Star Game last Saturday as an injury replacement for New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and was a reserve for the National League team on Tuesday night at Petco Park.
Marte, 27, is having a typically fine year, hitting .316 with six home runs, 30 stolen bases and a .823 OPS in 82 games while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.
It seems the rest of the baseball world is finally to catching on to what followers of the Pirates have known for a few years now 鈥� Marte is one of the top all-around talents in the game 鈥� thought it took him a while to get recognized.
鈥淚t is good to be here because you want to be to be with all the best players in the baseball,鈥� Marte said prior to the game. 鈥淵ou want people to think you are a good player. It is fun to be here with all the best players and get a chance to talk to some of them. I鈥檓 very happy to have this opportunity.鈥�
The opportunity almost didn鈥檛 present itself as Marte did not win either the fan or player voting. He was also bypassed as a selection by NL manager Terry Colllns of the New York Mets, then finished second to San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt in the Final Vote promotion.
Yet Marte looks at getting added to the games as a case of better late than never. Thanks to the work of Pirates traveling secretary Greg Johnson, Marte was able to have his entire family make it to San Diego in time for all the festivities despite the short notice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting,鈥� Marte said. 鈥淚t means a lot to my family to see me be at the All-Star Game. They are all very happy.鈥�
Marte鈥檚 selection to the All-Star Game also made the rest of the Pirates happy. Though quiet by nature, his smiling presence in the clubhouse makes him a favorite among his teammates, who also feel that his contributions to the Pirates鈥� success have often been overlooked.
鈥淭here really isn鈥檛 anything he can鈥檛 do,鈥� said closer Mark Melancon, the Pirates鈥� other representative in Tuesday night鈥檚 game. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of surprising that this is his first All-Star Game. I鈥檓 happy for him that he is getting the chance to experience this and get recognized. He deserves it.鈥�